Systems and methods for semi-submersible launch and recovery of objects from multi-mode unmanned vehicle
a multi-mode unmanned vehicle and semi-submerged technology, applied in the field of autonomous vehicles, can solve the problems of limiting the scope of conventional unmanned vehicle designs, affecting the achievement of a broader range of unmanned vehicle characteristics, and incurring operational and performance envelope limitations built into vehicles designed for carrying people, so as to achieve the effect of enhancing operational characteristics
Active Publication Date: 2019-10-10
UNMANNED INNOVATION
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Benefits of technology
The present invention provides better and easier systems and methods for launching and recovering objects using unmanned vehicles with improved capabilities such as speed, maneuverability, sea state handling, endurance, stealth, payload capacity, sensory capability, communication ability, and operational autonomy. The invention includes a well-deck built into a catamaran-like hull that can be flooded, controlled buoyancy, and adjusted water depth and pitch through a buoyancy control system. The host vessel can also navigate autonomously, maintain headway, and sense the location and position of the payloads. These improvements enhance the operational efficienities of the unmanned vehicles.
Problems solved by technology
Conventional unmanned vehicle designs typically are each limited in scope to a particular operating environment and / or beneficial task.
In the marine and submarine environments, most current unmanned vehicle designs are based on retrofits of manned vehicle designs and, as result, incur operational and performance envelope limitations built into vehicles designed for carrying people, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,789,723 to Dane et. al.
However, these designs typically preclude achievement of a broader range of unmanned vehicle characteristics (e.g., multi-environment, multi-task) for the sake of limited-environment, limited-task characteristics.
These types of launch and recovery systems were designed for use by multiple people and are not amenable to autonomous operation.
More specifically, the present state of the art, primarily referring to the use of winches, booms and davits described above, presents a number of problems, some of which are worsened by an increasing sea state.
As the pitch and roll of the host vessel increases, the payload launch is increasingly difficult to control and can be damaged by prematurely coming off its structural coaming and inadvertently striking the side of the host vessel.
Autonomously connecting and disconnecting winch mechanisms to the vessel is generally difficult to automate with increasing difficulty in higher sea states.
The existing structures onboard smaller launch and recovery vehicles are designed such that the structural equipment increases the vertical center of gravity (CG) thereby resulting in increased instability within the roll characteristics of the host vessel.
Repeatability and reliability are problematic in this kind of system.
If people are part of the launch and recovery process, then there is increased safety risk with increasing sea states.
The launch and recovery equipment is generally heavy and complex to operate.
None of the current approaches, including well-decks used in larger ships, are available in high performance vessels or high-performance catamarans.
None of the current approaches are available in an unmanned autonomous multi-mode maritime vehicle.
Method used
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[0073]The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Those of ordinary skill in the art realize that the following descriptions of the embodiments of the present invention are illustrative and are not intended to be limiting in any way. Other embodiments of the present invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
[0074]In this detailed description of the present invention, a person skilled in the art should note that directional terms, such as “abov...
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The systems and associated methods are for autonomously launching and recovering payload objects such as vessels, equipment and people by partially submerging a multi-mode unmanned vehicle in a controlled manner. Mechanical, power, signal and logical system components operate in a coordinated manner to repeatedly and reliably perform unmanned launch and recovery of payloads in a variety of conditions and sea states from a catamaran style hull with multi-mode, high-performance characteristics.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15 / 609,459 filed by the inventor of the present application on May 31, 2017, and titled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PAYLOAD INTEGRATION AND CONTROL IN A MULTI-MODE UNMANNED VEHICLE which, in turn, is a continuation-in-part and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 788,231 filed by the inventor of the present application on Jun. 30, 2015, and titled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MULTI-MODE UNMANNED VEHICLE MISSION PLANNING AND CONTROL which, in turn, is a continuation-in-part and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 470,866, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,096,106 titled MULTI-ROLE UNMANNED VEHICLE SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHODS filed on May 14, 2012, which, in turn, claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 485,477 titled ...
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IPC IPC(8): G05D1/00B63B1/04
CPCB63B2001/206B63B2035/008B63B2035/007B64C3/38G05D1/0088B64C2201/146B63B1/322B63B1/042B63G8/22B63G3/02B63G5/00B63B39/03G05D1/0094B63H9/0635Y02T70/5236B64U2201/20
InventorHANSON, BRUCE BECKERHANSON, THOMAS EDWARD
OwnerUNMANNED INNOVATION